US5341216A - CATV channel access control and metering apparatus - Google Patents
CATV channel access control and metering apparatus Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US5341216A US5341216A US07/588,732 US58873290A US5341216A US 5341216 A US5341216 A US 5341216A US 58873290 A US58873290 A US 58873290A US 5341216 A US5341216 A US 5341216A
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- subscriber
- catv
- status
- signal
- distribution line
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- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Fee Related
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Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
- H04H20/00—Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast
- H04H20/65—Arrangements characterised by transmission systems for broadcast
- H04H20/76—Wired systems
- H04H20/77—Wired systems using carrier waves
- H04H20/78—CATV [Community Antenna Television] systems
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
- H04H60/00—Arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linking to broadcast information or broadcast space-time; Broadcast-related systems
- H04H60/35—Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users
- H04H60/38—Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users for identifying broadcast time or space
- H04H60/41—Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users for identifying broadcast time or space for identifying broadcast space, i.e. broadcast channels, broadcast stations or broadcast areas
- H04H60/43—Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users for identifying broadcast time or space for identifying broadcast space, i.e. broadcast channels, broadcast stations or broadcast areas for identifying broadcast channels
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N7/00—Television systems
- H04N7/10—Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N7/00—Television systems
- H04N7/16—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
- H04N7/161—Constructional details of the subscriber equipment
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N7/00—Television systems
- H04N7/16—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
- H04N7/173—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
- H04N7/17345—Control of the passage of the selected programme
- H04N7/17363—Control of the passage of the selected programme at or near the user terminal
Definitions
- This invention relates generally to apparatus for signalling subscriber usage of a cable television service and more particularly to a cable television (CATV) distribution system where pay for use television signals are distributed.
- CATV cable television
- This invention is necessary to monitor or record the utilization of the pay TV channels to enable billing for use or consumption thereof to be done.
- Subscribers may pay a fixed monthly or weekly charge for access to the system. They may pay on a per-program basis or on a per unit-of-use basis.
- This invention is for use in conjunction with billing on a per unit-of-use basis. It will be appreciated that such billing may be the only billing charged a subscriber or that such billing may be in addition to a fixed charge billing system or any other billing that may be conceived of by a cable operator.
- Another approach is to provide an access number for access by subscribers wishing to have access to television signals carried on the cable network that must be dialled by each subscriber desiring access. Such a system may become overloaded when a large number of subscribers call in to request access.
- the present Invention relates generally to a novel method and system for billing a subscriber on a unit-of-use basis with a minimum of complex equipment and human intervention or support.
- the invention further relates to a novel method and system for obtaining subscriber viewing information on a per subscriber basis periodically automatically without intervention by the subscriber or the cable system operator personnel.
- the invention also relates to an automated system for the monitoring of viewing of television channels distributed over a cable network to a plurality of subscribers comprising:
- At least one subscriber operable activation unit adapted to be electrically connected to said cable at each subscriber location for selectively applying an activation signal thereto;
- filter means adapted to be inserted into the cable distribution network proximate to each subscriber location including a first filter responsive to said activation signal to block out or pass at least one television channel and a second filter to block out said activation signal to prevent said signal from propagating into said cable network;
- status means proximate to each subscriber location for connection to a communications bus responsive to a unique electrically encoded address by producing a status signal on said communications bus corresponding to the presence or absence of said activation signal;
- polling means for repetitively producing unique electrically encoded addresses on said communications bus and detecting the resultant status signal
- storage means for recording each encoded address and resultant status signal pair whereby the amount of time each subscriber has activated access to at least one television channel may be recorded.
- the invention still further relates to a method for billing a subscriber of a pay television system for programs actually viewed by the subscriber at a subscriber location comprising the steps of:
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a distribution system employing the communications module
- FIG. 2 is a functional block level diagram of the monitoring portion of the communications module.
- FIG. 3 is a functional block level diagram of the signal filtering portion of the communications module.
- FIG. 4 is a functional block level diagram of the head-end portion of the communications module.
- FIG. 5 is a functional block level diagram of a head-end multiplexer for the communications module.
- a CATV distribution line 11 which distributes television signals to a plurality of households 36.
- a communications module (COMMOD) 32 which is used to monitor the utilization or consumption of at least one of the TV channels distributed over the CATV lines by an individual one of the households.
- Each COMMOD may monitor a plurality of households.
- each COMMOD is shown to monitor 3 of the households. The result of the monitoring by each COMMOD is to maintain a status for each household indicating that the pay TV signal is or is not being used.
- This status information is polled from each COMMOD by a computer 38 which addresses a COMMOD to be polled via polling apparatus including a computer 38 and a head-end unit 30 which communicates with a plurality of COMMODs over a single wire pair 1.
- a computer 38 which addresses a COMMOD to be polled via polling apparatus including a computer 38 and a head-end unit 30 which communicates with a plurality of COMMODs over a single wire pair 1.
- head-end units 30 may be multiplexer 34.
- FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram of the metering communications module (COMMOD) used to provide subscriber viewing status information to a central head-end monitor over a dedicated pair of telephone wires (a telephone pair).
- Each dedicated pair of telephone wires may have a plurality of COMMODs attached to it.
- the telephone pair 1 provides power to the COMMOD which is voltage regulated by power supply 2.
- the output voltages from the power supply are applied to the clock 3, address strap 4 and the addressable asynchronous receiver transmitter (AART) 5.
- AART addressable asynchronous receiver transmitter
- Signalling from the central unit to the COMMOD is achieved by interrupting the supply voltage on the telephone pair 1.
- isolation diode 6 is provided to prevent the signalling information from disrupting the circuit, s power supply.
- the central unit signalling from the central unit arrives serially at the Rv terminal of the AART 5 and is clipped to the regulated supply voltage +V by diode pair 7.
- Diode pair 7 also prevents transient voltage spikes which may be present on the telephone pair 1 from damaging the AART by ensuring that the voltage levels arriving the Rv terminal of the AART do not exceed the supply voltages applied to the AART.
- the AART is a readily available conventional integrated circuit, for the example part number MC14469 manufactured by Motorola.
- the central unit signalling to the COMMOD comprises a serially transmitted COMMOD address. Each COMMOD's address is strapped using address strap 4 to an address which is unique among all COMMODs connected to telephone pair 1.
- Providing a unique address for each COMMOD enables the central unit to poll a plurality of COMMODS each responding to its own unique address.
- the AART responds to its polling address by capturing the status indication of up to 3 subscribers as provided by each subscriber's status monitor 8 which is described and shown in more detail in FIG. 3 and the description accompanying same.
- the subscriber status information is serially transmitted out of the Tr terminal of the AART at a speed set by clock 3.
- the transmitted signalling is applied to the telephone pair I via a transistor 9 which either saturates thus shorting the telephone pair 1 or remains open leaving telephone pair 1 unaffected.
- Each subscriber status monitor provides 2 status signals to the AART 5.
- the subscriber status monitor works in conjunction with a CATV filter 9 and set-top unit 10, the operation of which unit is detailed in U. S. patent application Ser. No. 005,979, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,245, incorporated herein by reference.
- the set-top unit 10 superimposes a positive or negative DC voltage on the CATV subscriber drop 11 which either activates or deactivates CATV signal filter 9. This switching of CATV signal filter 9 allows the subscriber to receive or be blocked from receiving premium TV signals carried on the CATV network.
- the DC voltage which is applied to the filter 9 via CATV line 11 is also passed along CATV line 11 to the subscriber status monitor 8.
- This DC voltage biases one and only one of the diodes in optoisolators 12 or 13.
- the COMMOD must be designed to meet 2 objectives.
- power consumption should be minimized (i.e. no more than say 500 micro-amperes), as each telephone pair 1 supplies both the power to run the circuit as well as the signalling path between the plurality of COMMODs and the central unit.
- the COMMOD is positioned outside in the subscriber distribution trunking and must therefore be able to operate in extreme temperature conditions (i.e. -40° C. to 60° C.).
- the capacitors used in the clock circuit 3 should be mica which has negligible capacitance variation over the operating temperature range compared to ceramic capacitors which have wide variation.
- the head-end provides line power and a common polling communications path to each COMMOD. All COMMODs are line powered from power supply 14 which is affixed across telephone pair 1. Data signals comprising the address of the COMMOD to be polled are input to the central unit through the terminal labelled PC in. As the signals of the constructed embodiment are produced out an RS232C serial port of a personal computer, (PC - not shown) they are applied to a signal level converter and inverter 15. The inverted signal is applied to a supply interrupter 16 which disconnects the supply 14 from telephone pair 1 and provides an electrical short across telephone pair 1.
- power supply 14 is connected to a telephone pair I supplying power to a plurality of COMMODs attached thereto.
- an address signal is communicated on telephone pair 1 by disconnecting power supply 14 via supply interrupter 16 and applying a short to the said pair 1. Signalling in this fashion may be made at 300 baud without significantly degrading power supplied to the COMMODS.
- the polled COMMOD communicates its signalling back to receiving optoisolator 17 by shorting telephone pair 1.
- Shorting telephone pair 1 causes a rapid increase in current flows through pair 1 causing the transistor in optoisolator 17 to saturate thus decreasing the voltage at point 18 toward zero.
- the input voltage to the comparator 19 is rapidly decreased on one input but falls off slowly due to the RC time constant of the resistor-capacitor pair 20 on the other input. This difference in voltage causes the comparator 19 to trigger and this output is applied to the inverter buffer amplifier 21 which in turn is communicated back to the RS232C serial input port of the microcomputer or personal computer at the point labelled PC out.
- the signalling of the polled COMMOD by means of shorting telephone pair 1 is 300 baud in this example to allow the RS232C serial port of the personal computer to both send and receive data at the same rate.
- the comparator 19 and RC pair 20 are provided to allow the head-end circuitry to stabilize to a quiescent operating current on telephone pair 1 for a varying number of COMMODs (for example 1 to 100) and detect COMMOD signalling on the pair 1 without the need or requirement to tune or adjust the head-end for the varying number of COMMODs that may be attached.
- FIG. 5 shows an alternate PC to head-end interface that allows the PC to select one of eight head-ends for signalling to any one of the COMMOD units connected to the dedicated telephone pair serviced by that head-end.
- This allows the microcomputer (pC) to poll up to eight times the number of COMMODs possible with the interface to a single telephone pair 1 described in conjunction with FIG. 4 above.
- a single address (for example octal 377) is reserved for addressing the multiplex control AART 22.
- This AART is configured to accept a control word three bits of which are used to select an analogue multiplexer via address lines 24 which interconnect the control word latch of AART 22 to the address lines of analogue multiplexers 23.
- the analogue multiplexers respond by interconnecting their source lines 25 with a unique one of the eight target lines 26.
Abstract
Description
Claims (8)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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CA615477 | 1989-09-29 | ||
CA615477 | 1989-09-29 |
Publications (1)
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US5341216A true US5341216A (en) | 1994-08-23 |
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Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US07/588,732 Expired - Fee Related US5341216A (en) | 1989-09-29 | 1990-09-27 | CATV channel access control and metering apparatus |
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Cited By (20)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO1996032815A2 (en) * | 1995-04-12 | 1996-10-17 | Watson Technologies | Cable television control apparatus and method |
FR2749730A1 (en) * | 1996-06-07 | 1997-12-12 | Space Emetteurs Sa | Anti-fraud monitoring method for cable TV distribution network |
US5828402A (en) * | 1996-06-19 | 1998-10-27 | Canadian V-Chip Design Inc. | Method and apparatus for selectively blocking audio and video signals |
US5898456A (en) * | 1995-04-25 | 1999-04-27 | Alcatel N.V. | Communication system with hierarchical server structure |
US5975705A (en) * | 1996-11-20 | 1999-11-02 | Hyundai Electronics Industries, Co., Ltd. | LCD position determination apparatus for LCD projector |
EP1039751A2 (en) * | 1999-03-26 | 2000-09-27 | Sony Corporation | Method and apparatus for converting a digital broadcast signal to a second digital broadcast signal, method and apparatus for receiving this signal and medium for providing a computer readable programme for processing the signal |
US6130703A (en) * | 1998-02-10 | 2000-10-10 | Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. | Local status monitoring of taps in a cable television system |
US6211926B1 (en) | 1996-11-20 | 2001-04-03 | Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd. | Remote control apparatus for digital cable television system and method thereof |
WO2003017665A1 (en) * | 2001-08-13 | 2003-02-27 | Robert John Milland | Method and apparatus for monitoring the provision of a utility |
US20040045021A1 (en) * | 2002-09-03 | 2004-03-04 | Weinblatt Lee S. | Use-related billing for pay TV |
WO2005079501A2 (en) * | 2004-02-18 | 2005-09-01 | Nielsen Media Research, Inc., Et Al. | Methods and apparatus to determine audience viewing of video-on-demand programs |
US6967966B1 (en) | 1999-11-03 | 2005-11-22 | Adc Telecommunications, Inc. | Digital return path for hybrid fiber/coax network |
US7016308B1 (en) * | 1999-03-19 | 2006-03-21 | Broadband Royalty Corporation | Digital return path for hybrid fiber/coax network |
US7031335B1 (en) | 1999-11-03 | 2006-04-18 | Adc Telecommunications, Inc. | Digital node for hybrid fiber/coax network |
US20070157262A1 (en) * | 2004-04-23 | 2007-07-05 | Arun Ramaswamy | Methods and apparatus to maintain audience privacy while determining viewing of video-on-demand programs |
US7984474B2 (en) | 2000-02-08 | 2011-07-19 | Quartics, Inc. | Method and apparatus for a digitized CATV network for bundled services |
US8307006B2 (en) | 2010-06-30 | 2012-11-06 | The Nielsen Company (Us), Llc | Methods and apparatus to obtain anonymous audience measurement data from network server data for particular demographic and usage profiles |
US9015740B2 (en) | 2005-12-12 | 2015-04-21 | The Nielsen Company (Us), Llc | Systems and methods to wirelessly meter audio/visual devices |
US9124769B2 (en) | 2008-10-31 | 2015-09-01 | The Nielsen Company (Us), Llc | Methods and apparatus to verify presentation of media content |
US20180324387A1 (en) * | 2016-09-26 | 2018-11-08 | Ppc Broadband, Inc. | Switchable highpass filter for catv return path |
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Cited By (37)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO1996032815A3 (en) * | 1995-04-12 | 1996-12-05 | Watson Technologies | Cable television control apparatus and method |
US5812928A (en) * | 1995-04-12 | 1998-09-22 | Watson Technologies | Cable television control apparatus and method with channel access controller at node of network including channel filtering system |
WO1996032815A2 (en) * | 1995-04-12 | 1996-10-17 | Watson Technologies | Cable television control apparatus and method |
US6266816B1 (en) | 1995-04-12 | 2001-07-24 | Watson Technologies | Tunable pass filter cable television control |
US5898456A (en) * | 1995-04-25 | 1999-04-27 | Alcatel N.V. | Communication system with hierarchical server structure |
FR2749730A1 (en) * | 1996-06-07 | 1997-12-12 | Space Emetteurs Sa | Anti-fraud monitoring method for cable TV distribution network |
US5828402A (en) * | 1996-06-19 | 1998-10-27 | Canadian V-Chip Design Inc. | Method and apparatus for selectively blocking audio and video signals |
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EP1039751A3 (en) * | 1999-03-26 | 2004-08-25 | Sony Corporation | Method and apparatus for converting a digital broadcast signal to a second digital broadcast signal, method and apparatus for receiving this signal and medium for providing a computer readable programme for processing the signal |
EP1039751A2 (en) * | 1999-03-26 | 2000-09-27 | Sony Corporation | Method and apparatus for converting a digital broadcast signal to a second digital broadcast signal, method and apparatus for receiving this signal and medium for providing a computer readable programme for processing the signal |
US7031335B1 (en) | 1999-11-03 | 2006-04-18 | Adc Telecommunications, Inc. | Digital node for hybrid fiber/coax network |
US6967966B1 (en) | 1999-11-03 | 2005-11-22 | Adc Telecommunications, Inc. | Digital return path for hybrid fiber/coax network |
US7984474B2 (en) | 2000-02-08 | 2011-07-19 | Quartics, Inc. | Method and apparatus for a digitized CATV network for bundled services |
WO2003017665A1 (en) * | 2001-08-13 | 2003-02-27 | Robert John Milland | Method and apparatus for monitoring the provision of a utility |
US20040045021A1 (en) * | 2002-09-03 | 2004-03-04 | Weinblatt Lee S. | Use-related billing for pay TV |
US20110088052A1 (en) * | 2004-02-18 | 2011-04-14 | Arun Ramaswamy | Methods and apparatus to determine audience viewing of video-on-demand programs |
WO2005079501A2 (en) * | 2004-02-18 | 2005-09-01 | Nielsen Media Research, Inc., Et Al. | Methods and apparatus to determine audience viewing of video-on-demand programs |
WO2005079501A3 (en) * | 2004-02-18 | 2006-06-08 | Nielsen Media Res Inc | Methods and apparatus to determine audience viewing of video-on-demand programs |
US20070186228A1 (en) * | 2004-02-18 | 2007-08-09 | Nielsen Media Research, Inc. | Methods and apparatus to determine audience viewing of video-on-demand programs |
US8707340B2 (en) | 2004-04-23 | 2014-04-22 | The Nielsen Company (Us), Llc | Methods and apparatus to maintain audience privacy while determining viewing of video-on-demand programs |
US9565473B2 (en) | 2004-04-23 | 2017-02-07 | The Nielsen Company (Us), Llc | Methods and apparatus to maintain audience privacy while determining viewing of video-on-demand programs |
US8381241B2 (en) | 2004-04-23 | 2013-02-19 | The Nielsen Company (Us), Llc | Methods and apparatus to maintain audience privacy while determining viewing of video-on-demand programs |
US20070157262A1 (en) * | 2004-04-23 | 2007-07-05 | Arun Ramaswamy | Methods and apparatus to maintain audience privacy while determining viewing of video-on-demand programs |
US20100211967A1 (en) * | 2004-04-23 | 2010-08-19 | Arun Ramaswamy | Methods and apparatus to maintain audience privacy while determining viewing of video-on-demand programs |
US9015740B2 (en) | 2005-12-12 | 2015-04-21 | The Nielsen Company (Us), Llc | Systems and methods to wirelessly meter audio/visual devices |
US9124769B2 (en) | 2008-10-31 | 2015-09-01 | The Nielsen Company (Us), Llc | Methods and apparatus to verify presentation of media content |
US10469901B2 (en) | 2008-10-31 | 2019-11-05 | The Nielsen Company (Us), Llc | Methods and apparatus to verify presentation of media content |
US11070874B2 (en) | 2008-10-31 | 2021-07-20 | The Nielsen Company (Us), Llc | Methods and apparatus to verify presentation of media content |
US11778268B2 (en) | 2008-10-31 | 2023-10-03 | The Nielsen Company (Us), Llc | Methods and apparatus to verify presentation of media content |
US8903864B2 (en) | 2010-06-30 | 2014-12-02 | The Nielsen Company (Us), Llc | Methods and apparatus to obtain anonymous audience measurement data from network server data for particular demographic and usage profiles |
US9355138B2 (en) | 2010-06-30 | 2016-05-31 | The Nielsen Company (Us), Llc | Methods and apparatus to obtain anonymous audience measurement data from network server data for particular demographic and usage profiles |
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